Evidence of meeting #15 for Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was schreiber.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:55 p.m.
As an Individual
For no other reason than—
to memorialize what in fact had been set out in the mandate when the blanks would be filled. That's all.
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
You prepared several mandates for Mr. Schreiber, you sent invoices and you were paid in the usual way, that is, by cheque or by a direct funds transfer.
You cashed cheques drawn on the PC Canada Fund made out to you and then sent cash to Mr. Mulroney. Why were the cheques from the PC Canada Fund, cheques intended to reimburse Mr. Mulroney for his party-related expenses, not sent directly to him?
5:55 p.m.
As an Individual
I cannot answer this, other than to say that those were the arrangements made by the president of the PC Canada Fund and Mr. Mulroney's office. I was merely the intermediary who received the cheque when it was made out to me. I would cash it and send the money to 24 Sussex. I am not the one who made the arrangements.
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Instead of sending the cheque to Mr. Mulroney, who would have deposited it in the bank, you ran the risk of sending $5,000 by courier?
5:55 p.m.
As an Individual
That was not exactly how it happened. The payment requests went through the Chief of Staff and were sent to the PC Canada Fund, which sent a cheque to the Chief of Staff, who, in my case, cashed it and sent it to 24 Sussex.
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
According to an article in Maclean's magazine on January 13, 1997, Brian Mulroney's advisors recommended in a memo to the Prime Minister that he appoint David Johnston to the position of Clerk of the Privy Council.
Were you aware of this before the Maclean's article mentioned it?
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
According to an article in Maclean's magazine on January 13, 1997, Brian Mulroney's advisors recommended to him in a memo that he appoint David Johnston to the position of Clerk of the Privy Council.
Did you know about that?
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
5:55 p.m.
Bloc
Serge Ménard Bloc Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC
Did you arrange meetings for lobbyists and business people with the Prime Minister?
5:55 p.m.
As an Individual
I don't have any specific recollection of arranging a meeting between any of my clients and the Prime Minister himself, with the exception of the Bear Head project.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Thank you, Mr. Ménard.
Our final questioner is Mr. Russ Hiebert, please.
February 12th, 2008 / 5:55 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Doucet, we've been asking all the witnesses a similar set of questions just because we want to be consistent and provide them every opportunity to clarify for this committee if there has been any wrongdoing.
So my question to you is, do you have evidence of any wrongdoing by any public official with respect to the Bear Head project, or the Airbus purchase, or the consulting agreement between Brian Mulroney and Mr. Schreiber?
6 p.m.
As an Individual
I want to say I have no knowledge at all about anything involving Airbus.
6 p.m.
Conservative
Russ Hiebert Conservative South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC
Okay. I have just one last question.
Mr. Schreiber has said before this committee—and he has sworn an affidavit before a judge—that you had asked him to transfer money to a lawyer in Geneva. Now, you've perfectly denied those allegations, so my question is not whether or not it happened, but why do you think this gentleman, a former friend of yours, would even make these kinds of allegations?
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Mr. Doucet, we appreciate your taking the time to appear before us. We thank you for your efforts. You are now excused.
Colleagues, there being no further business....
Sorry, Madame Lavallée, you had something for the committee?
6 p.m.
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
I do not wish to keep the witness unnecessarily, but I have a logistical question to ask. May I ask it now? It is not for you, Mr. Doucet, but rather for the Chair. I thank you very much.
Mr. Chair, would it be possible, logistically and politically, for us to forward you some questions to ask certain individuals involved in the matter before us and of whom we have only one question to ask? You could forward those questions in writing, rather than calling other witnesses to ask them only one or two questions for the purpose of clarification or verification.
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Paul Szabo
Colleagues, Madame Lavallée is referring, I think, to the witnesses we did not call, and that there may be a question. I would suggest that since we have a brief in camera meeting on Thursday after our witnesses, we could do a poll, and if the members wish, we could either entertain receiving specific questions or maybe just a generic question, asking if they have anything to offer the committee.
Why don't we deal with that general issue at our meeting on Thursday? Would that be acceptable?
6 p.m.
An hon. member
Yes.
6 p.m.
NDP
Thomas Mulcair NDP Outremont, QC
Mr. Chair, would you be so kind as to do the same thing and ask the senior partner at Stikeman Elliott to provide all the invoices? He might rebuff the issue, but I would like him to provide all the invoices exchanged between Mr. Lalonde and Bear Head Industries.
There are two things. On one hand, Stikeman Elliott is being asked to provide all the invoices concerning Mr. Lalonde and Mr. Schreiber and, on the other hand, Mr. Ménard is asking Ogilvy Renault for Brian Mulroney's partner contract.